What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
Today Randa Flannery will be talking about what sparked the idea for the story.
* So, what sparked the idea for Love the One You’re Witch? It was actually no single thing that started it. It was really several pieces that just sort of crashed together to give you what you have now, like the literary big bang, I suppose. Part one: I had only recently started reading paranormal stories and had gotten hooked on one series in particular, the Savanah Coven series by Suza Kates. So witches were pretty forefront on my mind. Part two: I had also read a ton of other paranormals that had vampires who were pretty much the same in every book: dark, brooding, depressing, yet somehow irresistible. The heroines in these stories, no matter what species they were, tended to be rather whiny and either helpless or otherwise completely grating in their attitudes as well. It irritated me. Part three: I was working on the manuscript for Missing at the time and had gotten a bit mired in a few of the darker scenes and research. One of the ways I fight these kinds of blocks is to start writing something completely different in order to give my mind a break without losing the creative drive. So I opened a new document and considered what would be the opposite of Missing, a romantic suspense that deals with some serious topics and a kind of edgy tone.
* The answer was Love the One You’re Witch, a paranormal romantic comedy about a witch and a vampire. Dark and depressing? Oh, no. I set out to make mine funny with likable characters that encouraged readers to laugh and spray their drink from their noses.
* As I wrote, though, the story took on a bit more depth, as tends to happen when you least expect it! Turns out Ana is a strong character, but very real (well...as real as a fictional character with magical powers can be). Likewise, the relationship between Ana and Lucas is believable and fun. Poor Lucas. When you’ve been around as long as he has, what could possibly
be “original” any more? Anything he says has been used in a movie or sappy book, which makes him completely cheesey! Lucky for him, women, while unlikely to really fall at a man’s feet for spouting lame lines, do like guys that are somewhat silly and make them laugh to temper the alpha edges.
* The way I see it, even if some of the main elements of the story are out of the realm of reality, the rest of the story doesn’t have to be. And reality doesn’t have to be mundane and boring. The reactions of these characters is real. The feelings are real. Ana’s thoughts are the same sort of thoughts we could have and it works to make normal things funny, and that’s what I wanted in this story in response to the more doomsday sort I had read prior to it.
* So there you have it: my natural propensity for snark and humor, my frustration with other people’s depressing depictions, the need to get out of the more serious matter in Missing, and the new found love of paranormal romance. They all spontaneously collided in a great explosion to give you Love the One You’re Witch. You’re welcome.
* I shrugged and waved toward Lucas. “That’s a question we should probably ask Lucas. It was obviously someone he knows, since the spell was actually intended for him.”
* The sexiest man alive...or sort of alive...started in surprise. “Me?”
* “Well, obviously. It was your CD. It was in your house, among your music. The note was probably meant for you. Erica was just unlucky enough to take it from your room before the caster actually activated the spell.” This seemed like it should be common sense to me, but he seemed a little stunned.
* The family trained their eyes on Lucas. “Who would do that?” Tanner questioned. “Who wants you, man?”
* I snorted a laugh. “Seriously? Again, have you seen him?” Damn. I really need to stop talking. But then I realized that no one else was talking again, so I kind of had to. “Sorry. That was not helpful. So, have you had any girls hanging around the last month and a half?”
* The family shook off the surprise brought on by my lack of couth and began to think out loud.
* “Brenda,” Tanner offered first. “And Lorrie.”
* “I’ve seen Candace over a lot lately,” Dryfus added. “And the Carlton twins stopped by twice this week.”
* Moira twisted her mouth in distaste. “Really, Lucas, the twins?” Then she shook her head and added her own. “Hannah, Natalia, and Victoria. And what is that new girl’s name? Denise or Delilah?”
* “It was Dixie,” her mate provided.
* Of course it was, I thought sourly. With each name, my stomach sank more until it was finally in the heels of my boots. I told myself it was because it would make my job more difficult. Because it shouldn’t have been shocking or upsetting at all to learn that the hot vampire guy with the intense green gaze was a playboy. I couldn’t resist a little snark, however, when the list we compiled had reached fifteen.
* “Wow. So I guess Wiccans aren’t the only ones who have trouble with monogamy.”
* He cast a dark look around at his family. “I haven’t been with all of those girls,” he snapped, frustration spiking in his aura. “And the ones I have been with would not have been wrong, since I wasn’t part of a mated pair or otherwise in a committed relationship.”
* I shrugged with a nonchalance I usually didn’t have to work at. “Hey, no judging from me. Like I said, I can see the draw.” I winked to add a little insult to injury, totally objectifying him even as my stomach twisted.
* “I see,” he returned in that deep and dangerously smooth tone I liked. “So would you like on the list, Anastasia?”
* My name sounded like a caress and I resisted the urge to purr. This guy was too much. “Actually, no. I prefer my partners a little more lively.” I snickered at my own pun. I can be pretty funny.
* “Was that a joke about us being dead?” Tanner asked with a wary glance around.
* “Not all of us,” Moira responded wryly. “I’m pretty sure that was aimed specifically at Lucas.”
* I continued to grin. “Sorry, we Wiccans might do some strange things, but I draw the line at necrophilia.”
* Another pregnant silence followed, broken only by his growl.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Randa Flannery will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
18 comments:
thank you for having me on where the story comes first today and spotlighting "love the one you're witch". writing ana's story was a lot of fun for me and i love sharing it with others. i'm happy to hang out and chat and answer questions!
also, my husband read the post and said it sounded like i didn't actually like paranormal stories. lol. i guess i should clarify. i do love the genre. not all paranormals are the dark ones that i talked about in the post. i just meant that the ones i had read at that time were. and really, i don't mind the darker nature of some. it was simply that at the time i was getting ready to write this book, those were the ones i had read, and were some of the first to introduce me to the genre. hopefully that clears up any misconceptions...for my husband, at the very least!
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for the excerpt and interview :) How do you like living in China?
I enjoyed the interview!
@Amber Ag, living in china was a pretty big adjustment. things are done so differently here and it was really hard at first. but it's been three years now and i have to admit that we've more than adjusted. i really enjoy my time here now, and i'm a little nervous about moving back to the states at the end of our contract! i think there are pros and cons to everything, for the most part, and china is no different in that sense. when i'm in america (i travel a couple of times a year back to the states), i miss certain things about here. when i'm in china, i miss things from home. you just have to be open to the possibilities and find the things that will make you happy rather than focusing on the things that are hard. it's been a great experience for all of us. that being said, however, the junk food here is not nearly as good as what i can get in the states!
@Betty Woodrum, thank you! it always sort of baffles me when people want to know anything about me. i get kind of "tongue tied" trying to figure out what to say and figure i eventually come off as lame. thanks for making me feel better!
Would love to win! Thanks for the chance.
I enjoyed the excerpt and the post, sounds like a fantastic read, thanks for sharing it!
Great interview The books sounds great Thanks
@becky, thanks for stopping by. good luck on the drawing!
@rita, thanks for commenting! good luck on the drawing!
@eva, thank you! i hope you like it!
thanks, @crystal. i really love ana's story. i hope you do, as well. good luck in the drawing!
Really great post - I love learning the inner workings of an authors minds and where their ideas come from :)..thanks for sharing.
@victoria, i'm happy to supply that any time! it always seems to be something different for each story. the ideas come from everywhere, sometimes obvious places, sometimes really random ones. and it's always interesting to me how they evolve from the first little inkling to something completely different at the end. it's a wild ride!
Excellent post! I really enjoyed reading the excerpt and the interview. This book sounds like such a fun and interesting read! Can't wait to read this book!
thanks, ally! i really enjoy how this scene turned out. as hard as it is to choose one short scene to represent the book, i think this one did a good job. hope you enjoy the rest of the book as much as this scene.
I love the blurb. Sounds like a great book
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